Go to the local model shop and find a local club, even boat. Model aircraft are often bought ready built for radio and control liners like myself are normally knuckle draggers, so not recommended. Buy some good tools and develope lots of patience.

eldridge, I discovered a long time ago that model-making was beyond my skills: I'm pretty handy with a sledge hammer, a chainsaw, or even a 10mm socket wrench, but tiny bits of material, tweezers and little drops of glue are, in my hands, a recipe for disaster.

I'd go to that same model shop JtP mentions, but there I'd find out who among its customers is really good at putting together such things. Likely some 14yo kid who hasn't learned to drive yet. Search him out, and settle on a mutually agreeable price for his expertise in assembling the thing.

[QUOTE] Originally posted by Dennis Hockenbury
I build only F1 cars in 1/12 scale. I enjoy the Tamiya kits above all others, but have built Protar, Pocher and my current MG Models Ferrari 156 project in resin.

I'm looking forward to starting the Ferrari 641 and McLaren MP4/4 in the near future.

Respect to you Dennis for building Pocher models...................they're one of the only kits I have ever tackled where the seats came in pieces, including cloth!

If it's of any use eldridge, I build kits of any car, racing or otherwise and in any scale.

If the 50's is your thing and you would like to acquire superb 1:18 (or so) models of a 625 Ferrari and a W196 Mercedes Benz, paying bugger-all for them, then look around for the Polistil versions, they are always on the net for sale somewhere and, here is the difference, replace the appalling spoked wheels with the excellent Burago wheels of the same scale. The result is stupendous, especially the Ferrari. The quality is there.

Do not waste time on the Polistil Maserati 250F, truly dreadful, with its squashed fuel tank.

If you want to pursue this approach, Polistil also made 2 Alfa Romeo 1750s, one with hood, one without. Apply the Burago wheel approach here also, painting them red if you wish. These Alfas are still as marvellous in fine detail as most 1:18 models produced today.

If I have blown it for those guys who are quietly buying up these gems, sorry but there it is.

Thanks Simpson, the 1/8 scale Pocher kits are hugely time consuming to build. Added to this is the need for many detailing accessories that are very expensive as well. While I enjoyed building the Alfa 8C/2300, the time and dollars invested was not worth it to me.

This is not to suggest that properly detailing a 1/12 scale Tamiya kit is not time consuming as well, I enjoy finding the many detailing components and adding these models to my collection.

I almost wish that I had started with 1/43 kits, as they would be less time consuming and less costly.

Ah, old love of building models... But I managed to mess up something on each model I ever made so walked away from it a few years ago. There is still a Daytona Competizione waiting just finishing some minor details. It will be completed this winter, I hope: just bought a few more kits on eBay and decided to start again. So now 1/24 XKSS and '53 Studebaker are waiting, as well as a few 1/32 Airfix models, first to be built, just to warm up and remind myself of how to do it.

[QUOTE] Originally posted by Dennis Hockenbury
Thanks Simpson, the 1/8 scale Pocher kits are hugely time consuming to build. Added to this is the need for many detailing accessories that are very expensive as well. While I enjoyed building the Alfa 8C/2300, the time and dollars invested was not worth it to me.

This is not to suggest that properly detailing a 1/12 scale Tamiya kit is not time consuming as well, I enjoy finding the many detailing components and adding these models to my collection.

I almost wish that I had started with 1/43 kits, as they would be less time consuming and less costly.

It's not just the detailing that's expensive............when I started my working career 25 years ago, it was with a chain of model shops.

Back then, a 1/32 Airfix kit was around £1.50 or less, a highly detailed Tamiya small scale F1 kit was probably £3.99 and a Pocher 1/8 scale car was a stratospheric £100+!!!!!

I don't know where you're from Dennis, but, with inflation, that probably relates to around £250 sterling these days.

I noticed you used the term 'dollars'.............that translates into around US $470, or a cool AUS $600!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree Simpson. By way of example, a current Tamiya 1/12 MP4/4 costs around $150.00 here in Houston for the basic kit. The photoetched detailing kit is another $150.00 and the machined brake set is $60.00. Other photoetched items, specialty decals, etc. are around another $50.00 or so.

Without even starting the build process, I have invested north of $400.00 per model. This is why I have become very selective about each model I decide to build. At this point, I have a backlog of 14 of the Tamiya 1/12 scale kits with accessories waiting to be started.

This is not a lifestyle for me, just something I do from time to time with the result that each kit takes me a long time to construct.

I've been buiding models for 50 years. In the last 20, I've concentrated on 1/43rd and scratchbuilding, as many of the cars I'm interested in do not exist in any scale..

HiI do not have any "do not exist in any scale" available for sale but as you build models, I suggest to visit one of my blogs "1/43 Collection of transformed and restaured models" at "http://143modelcolle....blogspot.com/" that might provide you with some suggestions of models to build (I only have 1/43). By the way you could also have a look at this location "http://forums.autosp...owtopic=143198" in this Forum.Regards

Wonderful stuff Steve, I've admired your work greatly over the last few years. When we used to have a trade stand at Goodwood and elsewhere when your name came up in discussion it was usually in hushed tones!

It cames as a great surprise a few months ago to realise that SWB on this forum was THE Steve Barnett.

Wonderful stuff Steve, I've admired your work greatly over the last few years. When we used to have a trade stand at Goodwood and elsewhere when your name came up in discussion it was usually in hushed tones!

It cames as a great surprise a few months ago to realise that SWB on this forum was THE Steve Barnett.

My thoughts exactly and as a builder of 1/43rds I find your work not only stunning but hugely inspirational.

Does anyone know of a font that replicates the numerals on most mid-sixties GP cars? (Think Lotus '67-'68, Brabham, and Tyrrell through '73) I'm drawing some top-views of the '68 single seaters in Illustrator, and I'd rather not have to draw this if something's available.

Sorry if this isn't the right place to ask; I didn't want to start a new thread for such a small question.

There used to be a sort of modelling clay that shrunk when you heated (baked) it to produce a ceramic objet d'art but the result was never accurate as there would be distortion and the amount of shrinkage couldn't be controlled accurately.

Does anyone know of a font that replicates the numerals on most mid-sixties GP cars? (Think Lotus '67-'68, Brabham, and Tyrrell through '73) I'm drawing some top-views of the '68 single seaters in Illustrator, and I'd rather not have to draw this if something's available.

Sorry if this isn't the right place to ask; I didn't want to start a new thread for such a small question.

The closest one that comes to mind is Font Bureau's Interstate typeface: http://www.fonts.com...roductid=495483Click on the 'Try Font' tab and select the Interstate Std Regular face, then type in some digits. It might not be a perfect match, but if you're using Illustrator, you can easily modify the character outlines to get what you want.